BJP demands telecast of 'notes for votes' sting tapes

Published: Thursday, July 31, 2008, 17:40 [IST]

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New Delhi, Jul 31 (UNI) Stating that it was 'deeply dismayed' by the decision of CNN-IBN channel not to telecast the 'notes for votes' sting operation, the BJP today decided to 'boycott' all programmes including interviews and discussions with the channel till the channel telecast the pictures captured on the tapes.

The sting operation was carried out at the residence of BJP MP Ashok Argal where money was paid to three party MPs by a person representing a senior Samajwadi Party leader for abstaining in the July 22 trust vote. The channel even interviewed the MPs with a promise to telecast it and the Editor in Chief even promised to hand over the tapes to Lok Sabha Speaker, senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters.

The channel was now claiming that it can't telecast the tapes as the story was 'incomplete' and had to tie up the 'loose ends' and the submission of unedited tapes to the Speaker was delayed by nearly 24 to 30 hours, Mr Naidu alleged. The job of the channel is to bring the information collected to the public domain it is not for the channel or newspaper to complete the investigations and pronouce the verdict, Mr Naidu said.

Alleging that the volte-face from the channel was obviously because of pressure from the government or corporate houses, Mr Naidu said it was now upto the tv channel to disprove the lingering suspicion. "The media house should revise its decision without any further delay and air the tapes soon and the BJP and its leaders will happily revise their decision to boycott the channel", he said.

He said the people have a right to know what has been filmed and the BJP was interested to preserve, protect the freedom of press and was ready to assist the media in whatever way possible to withstand the government and corporate interferene in their working.

Mr Naidu said the BJP had not barred the channel from regular press conferences and briefings but would not take part in any of their exclusive programmes.

He said there was no impediment for the channel to telecast the tapes in public interest either from the Parliament or the Speaker.